At least 1000 youth have been hired for the National Hygiene Programme (NHP) dubbed ‘Kazi Mtaani’ to improve hygiene conditions in Kwale County.
The youth have been hired in the programme to cushion them during the coronavirus pandemic.
The area County Commissioner (CC), Karuku Ngumo said on Sunday the youth are taking part in the clean-up campaign in the sub counties of Matuga and Msambweni.
Ngumo who chairs the Kazi Mtaani county implementation committee said the initiative is being rolled out in proper health standards and protocols under the supervision of public health officials to limit the risk of infection of the deadly covid-19 disease.
The CC said the activities the labourers undertake include street cleaning, fumigation and disinfection, garbage collection, bush clearing and de-silting of choked gutters in informal settlements.
He said the activities in slum areas are aimed at getting rid of filth and facilitate healthy community living thus preventing coronavirus outbreak in vulnerable areas.
The administrator said the youth empowerment programme which started in April was initially meant to run for 30 days but the exercise was recently extended for another 30 days.
Ngumo asked area residents to continue observing social distancing, regular hand washing and wearing facemasks among other hygiene measures to avert spread of the highly infectious respiratory disease.
“People should embrace good sanitation, social distancing and observe other preventative measures outlined by the Ministry of Health to curtail the spread of covid 19,” he said.
The national programme is being rolled out simultaneously in Nairobi, Mombasa, Kiambu, Nakuru, Kisumu, Kwale, Kilifi and Mandera counties which are identified as coronavirus hotspots.
The Kwale county executive committee member for Public Service, Sylvia Chidodo welcomed the extension of the youth programme saying the youth were doing a commendable job in executing the community projects.
She said Kwale was getting a facelift through the massive clean-up effort besides providing jobs for the young people during these hard economic times occasioned by the covid-19 pandemic.
Chidodo said it is critical to maintain the cleanliness during this period of the pandemic when hygiene is important in breaking the chain of infections.
By Hussein Abdullahi
